Equality, diversity and inclusion

Understanding African Postgraduate Student Experience

Project leader(s): Cristina Santos Kevin Deane Frangton Chiyemura Maureen Mackintosh

The higher education sector has recognised and aims to address recruitment, retention, and award gaps of BAME students.

Closing the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Enquirer and Recruitment Gap in FASS

Project leader(s): Karen Hagan Lystra Hagley-Dickinson Pepta Joefield-Beeby Anna Clarke

The BAME Insight Factsheet produced by Marketing demonstrated that there is a BAME enquirer gap in the OU.

Embedding Accessibility into the Curriculum: An Accessibility Tool as a Checklist

Project leader(s): Rhiannon Edwards Shazna Muzammil Vanessa Moore

The Accessibility Tool is currently being piloted on modules presenting in 22B and 22J with the goal of disseminating the final version across OU by 23J.

The Experience of BAME Students on DE300

Project leader(s): Sharon Xuereb

It is well documented that Black and Minority Ethnic (B.A.M.E.) students are awarded lower grades at university than their White counterparts. In the UK, a first class and second upper class degree classifications are considered ‘good degrees’.

Tracking retention and building community in distance music study

Project leader(s): Alexander Kolassa Lilian Simones

There are three objectives of this project (presented in order of priority):

Enhancing Student Retention, Progression and Attainment at Level 1 in Arts and Humanities by Increasing Student Recruitment to the Access Programme: An Investigation into Declining Student Numbers on Y031

Project leader(s): David Grummitt

The purpose of the project is to carry out an investigation into reasons for declining student numbers on Y031 J and B presentations. While there was some fluctuation across presentations in the first five years of the module, the overall trend since 2018J has been a marked decline in studen

Communication Strategies and the Tutor-Student Relationship

Project leader(s): Wendy Humphreys Vicky Johnson

One of the findings of our completed project, The Quality of Tutor-Student Early contact in Post Level 1 Modules, was the extreme variation in both the interpretation and practice of tutors, in terms of early communication within a module.

Developing an Approach to Networked Audio for Distance Learning in Music Practice

Project leader(s): Sean Williams Naomi Barker

This project examines the use of networked technologies for group music practice, within the context of a small group of 3-7 players.

Challenges of Distance Teaching Masters in International Relations

Project leader(s): William Brown

In the age of digital information and high levels of technology in academic life, critical thinking skills are not just considered as an element of academic literacy; they have been interpreted in terms of the ability to use Microsoft Office and reference managing software effectively when underg